Call to Arms
by Ash Gray Kitsune
Summary: ANBU is hardly every nin's dream; most are content to get through the academy and go drinking at Ichiraku's. But Umino Iruka's bittersweet position as an academy teacher reminds him that sometimes, what you dream is not as important as what you are...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Oh gods, not again...I do not own Naruto, or anything else of serious value. Save for maybe my PS2. It's an antique now.**

**A/N: Plotbunnies are nefarious creatures, born of that vile lethargy known as boredom, procrastination, Stumbleupon...which take up residence in one's mind as though they were a tumor or some other foul growth. Take heed from my warning, young readers and writers, and be wary of the plotbunny's deep reaching claws...**

**Call to Arms**

"...ANBU is a secret squad of powerful jounin who have undertaken the village's most dangerous missions, and lived to tell the tales to the Hokage. Most ANBU live double lives; you'd be amazed at the range and variety of people the squad hosts, and its membership varies from year to year. It is a very dangerous position, but without ANBU, our little village of Konohakagure would not have many of the comforts we often take for granted."

"Iruka-sensei, does anyone ever get out of ANBU?" Iruka smiled at Sakura, nodding strongly and leaning against his desk. He wasn't sure when the topic of the day had turned over to the mysterious group of nin, but he didn't mind too much; they only had a half hour left of classes, and he supposed it couldn't hurt, especially when the mini-nins were actually paying attention to his lecture. Rather than scare them, or mystify them with the rumors, he chose to go with the Fourth's explaination of ANBU, a simple, easily understood message of protection and highest honor. Naruto already looked like he was going to jump out of his seat in excitement.

"Occasionally, a nin will choose to leave, and after a short releasing ceremony, often times a genjutsu is used to erase any truly vital information an enemy might try to get out of the former member, but from what I've heard, it's nothing terrible, just a routine procedure to protect both village and individual nin."

"Can anyone become an ANBU?" Iruka almost threw up a deflecting jutsu, but stayed himself. Barely. Naruto was a force to be reckoned with on a good day, when he was quiet and withdrawn, prone to bursts of pranks and clowning. But on days like today...Kami-sama, whatever little deity had thought up ADD needed to be strung up by a chakra wire and hung for a few thousand years.

"Not necessarily, Naruto. It takes an incredibly high degree of strength and cunning to make it into jounin status, not to mention a great deal of experience from extremely high-risk missions. Shinobi who gain that strength, and show a talent towards leadership, oftentimes join the running for the future Hokage, but not always. Some do their work, and go home at the end of the day, preferring rest and family to fighting. Others fight non-stop, and youngsters like yourselves will have never met them because of it. Everyone copes with it differently...and on that subject, we'll end today's class. Now!" He held up a hand and managed to get the class to pause. "When we come back next week, we're going to start in on basic coping mechanisms for post-mission traumas. It's time all of you learned what you'll be facing in the real world. I want a paper on three specific traumas, injury, illness, and poisoning, due Monday; anyone without a paper completed gets to go through a second lecture with me after school. Now, everyone have a nice weekend!" He called over the groans, and as he ushered the last child out the door, he slumped against the wall.

"Friday, I both loathe, and love thee. Now, to go get some dinner before the shift tonight..."

"Konbonwa, Iruka-sensei." Iruka had his back to the window when the voice sounded, and he startled badly, his papers and folders scattering across the floor as he drew a kunai and spun, only to find himself face to face with an amused gray eye. The Copy Nin towered over him, lips twitching into a faint smile underneath that ubiquious black mask, his body set in a comfortable slouch with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his pants. For a change, Icha Icha wasn't planted in front of his nose as he watched the teacher regain his bearings.

"Kakashi-sensei! You scared the hell out of me!" He blushed slightly as he relaxed, huffing a little at the mess of papers he now had to clean up. "Please don't do that. It's hard enough with Naruto diving into me at any given moment in class." He bent down and started collecting the essays.

"Maaa...Gomen, sensei. Didn't mean to give you a scare..." Kakashi joined him, his eye apologetic as he crawled across the wood floor, shooing papers back to the chuunin with a tiny wind jutsu. Iruka smiled a little as the papers fluttered neatly into a stack in front of him, and he scooped each one up, filing as he went to keep himself organized.

"It's alright. So, what brings you here on a Friday night? I thought it was jounin-drinking night at the bar."

"It still is, but the Third asked me to come escort you to the Hokage's Tower." Iruka paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"If this has anything to do with Naruto's graffiti-ing of the hospital, then you can tell him that I want no part in the punishment this time." Kakashi laughed a little, settling in an easy crouch, handing him a forgotten folder, complete with homework. His eyes grew somber, though, as he watched the teacher sort everything into a neat cube of paperwork. He didn't envy the younger man's workload in the least, and he kept his sigh back, knowing that it would only confuse, and possibly upset the chuunin all the more.

"No, no..." He reached into his vest, and pulled out a small scroll, tied with a bright red rope. "This has nothing to do with Naruto." Iruka gaped at the scroll, his heart stilling as his mind crowded with questions...that was an ANBU scroll. More than that, it was an initiation test. He harbored no illusions that he would ever make the jounin squads; he knew his place, and it was right here in the classroom. The gods knew he'd been told that enough...but this...this was different. ANBU selected it's members on entirely different criteria than the elders...And for Sarutobi to send Hatake Kakashi to deliver it...Iruka swallowed with difficulty, and his hands trembling, gently took the scroll from the jounin. He could barely undo the knots, but finally, the rope fell away, and he unwound the paper. It told him everything he needed to know; why he was being chosen, what his purpose would be within the squad, his codename, his new classification...Iruka sucked in a quick breath, brown eyes catching one lone gray.

"This is really..."

"...Yes, it is. They...they wanted new blood, so to speak, if what I heard was correct." He stood, red rope in hand, as the chuunin...no, jounin now, got to his feet and set his work on the desk, absently rolling up the scroll. Kakashi handed him the tie, then waited patiently for the summons to be hidden in Iruka's own vest. "Are you alright, Iruka-sensei?"

"I...yes, yes I am. I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei. So...uh...we need to go now, right?"

"Iruka-sensei..."

"Yes?" Kakashi drew close to him, sighing a little. He didn't like the way this had been handed out so casually by Danzo; he'd never been fond of the arrogant elder nin, but least of all in his assessment of the potential candidates for ANBU's newly developed amphibious squad... However...he caught Iruka's shoulder, all but forcing the younger man to look up at him, and meet his gaze squarely.

"Just...remember one thing. No matter what they may say, you don't have to join if you don't want to. You know the risks possibly better than anyone, and that's why I'm-"

"Blabbing about things you shouldn't even be thinking about, Kakashi-kun." The older jounin turned, his eye emotionless as he stared at a certain Mitarashi Anko. She sat on the window sill, cleaning her fingernails with a kunai, smirking through an easy glare. "C'mon, Iruka-kun, come play with the big kids now, and let Kakashi-kun go worry with his dogs over a bone or two." Iruka bristled at that, and Kakashi kept a smile back as the dark-skinned new jounin stepped forward, his brown eyes flashing. He picked up his stack of paperwork and set it neatly into his side bag, tying down the straps to protect his students' work from the winds outside.

"Thank you, Anko-san, but I believe that Kakashi-san was going to take me to the Tower. Kakashi-san, if you would? I'd like to take the homework and essays with me, so that I have one less thing to worry about over the weekend. Anko-san, please close the window when you leave; certain pre-genin like to sneak in over the off-hours." He replied sharply, giving her his best teacher's glare in addition. Iruka turned back to the silver-haired jounin, who was fighting a smirk and losing easily, and motioned for the man to follow him. Kakashi did, with pleasure, and sauntered after the irate brunette, drawing even with him as they left the Academy and turned toward the Tower.

"I'm sorry that Anko was so rude, Iruka-sensei." He said gently, his eye softening as he glanced at the new jounin. He'd never really had a chance to get to know the teacher before all of this; he'd paid attention to the jinnchuriki's sensei, of course, but never in any lengthy capacity. _Well, you'll have plenty of time now; he's your trainee for the next six months. _Iruka shook his head and smiled, chuckling.

"You don't need to be, Kakashi-sensei. I'm kind of glad she showed up; I needed to vent. So...this is a bit of a shock to me, I will admit..."

"You do know that you can back out, right?"

"...I do. But...I don't want to." Kakashi stopped at that, and surveyed Iruka, who gazed back up at him with calm eyes. "You want to know why."

"I would, yes."

"...Everyone knows that I'll never make jounin. I love to teach too much, and I don't have quite the stamina to take on so many missions, one after another...and I don't want to do that. But...this..."

"Is different?"

"...Very. This is...an honor, and a chance to protect my home on a level that as a regular jounin, I could never do."

"...That's why you teach, isn't it? So you can do the same for your students?"

"Exactly."

"Huh..."

"Surprising that a chuunin would feel that way?"

"Not really...just, surprising that someone from another country could feel so strongly about a place he wasn't born in." Iruka chuckled slightly, and started walking again, Kakashi following alongside at a light lope.

"Mm...I may have been born in Wave, but we moved here when I was barely a babe. I was raised in Leaf, and it's more my home than Wave was. Though, it is interesting, considering what I'll be doing..."

"Ah, I'm afraid we'll have to wait until we talk to the Third. No public discussion, Iruka-sensei." The new jounin rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue, but smiled nonetheless.

"Hmph...Well, we're nearly there-where on earth are you going?" Iruka looked completely nonplussed as Kakashi leapt into one of the trees at the Tower's base, and the Copy Nin poked his head out, upside down in front of the teacher, his eye curved in a smile.

"Up my usual route. The guards know me. I'm afraid, though, that you'll have to go through the front door; they do chakra checks nowadays after hours." Iruka sighed heavily and sidestepped the hanging nin, making his way up to the large doors still thrown open to allow for a cooling night breeze. Genma and Raidou were lounging against the doors, and the senbon-sucking jounin lifted his hand in a wave as the teacher approached.

"Konbonwa, Iruka-sensei. What's your business with the Hokage tonight?"

"Just some paperwork that he called me in for. I'm probably on the list, ne?" As Raidou checked him in and got his signature, Kakashi reappeared at the end of the hallway, his spiky hair lightly dusted with bits of leaf.

"Maa, what's the hold-up?"

"You know the rules, Kakashi."

"Yeah, yeah..." But patiently, the older jounin waited, supressing a yawn. He wasn't used to being up this late without alcohol in him, and he certainly wasn't used to running errands like this. But...he didn't mind looking after Iruka. He was a mature adult, quite used to thinking for himself, and used to being creative in the face of danger. And besides that, he wasn't so unhappy with six months of living with, training with...showering with the attractive brunette. It was probably a good thing that his mask hid his lower face; there was no mistaking the smirk on his face, no matter how cheerful his eye looked. Of course, Genma had sensed it; but then, Genma was also gay as a three-yen coin. Not that he himself was much different...

"Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka's voice was softer now, and Kakashi found himself falling a little into those perfect brown eyes...

"Hai?" His voice had come out huskier than he'd planned, and he couldn't help towering, just a little, over the teacher, curving his body...before snapping out of it when he realized what he was doing. Damn... "Ah, gomen. C'mon, let's head up to visit the Sandaime." As he turned and led the way, he brought one hand up to his mask, wondering idly why he hadn't kept his guard up as high as usual. Was it something Iruka was doing? Or...was it the way Iruka was, that kind, stern, yet understanding soul brushing aside his barriers as though they were little more than veils. He'd done it at the last exams, standing up for all of his students, though it was clear that Naruto had wiggled his way into the jounin's heart, and he'd done it again when he'd seen Kakashi eyeballing the young jinnchuuriki. As they started up the stairs, however, he pushed those thoughts to the side for the time being; right now, his biggest priority was to his new trainee, and since he had led the Root...it was Iruka's turn to learn to lead the Wave.

**Crap? Decent? I know it's not mindblowing, but I hope it's at least something fun to read? So far, just Irukashi for now; Gen/Rai is a given. XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Oh gods, not again...I do not own Naruto, or anything else of serious value. Save for maybe my PS2. It's an antique now.**

**Call to Arms**

"Gomen, Iruka-sensei."

"For what?" The younger teacher glanced at him, rather confused, as they ran through some basic taijutsu exercises together. Kakashi had to smile under his mask; such a sweet man, really, and he really did feel bad for stealing his weekend away; Iruka had little enough free time, though the jounin didn't seem to begrudge him his request to train during the times when he wasn't asleep or in class.

"For monopolizing your only free time. By the way, your armor should be ready by today for the first fitting; Nikorai was pretty happy that you're close to my measurements."

"Oh, it's no problem, Kakashi-sensei...why is that?" Kakashi grinned.

"Because the set I have him keep in reserve will only need a few adjustments for you." Iruka's jaw dropped, and he tensed, shocked that his new partner could be so glib about something so...expensive! "Relax! He keeps it because I'm such a reckless bastard; he told me that since I have a brand new pupil, he was going to use my set as an apology-gift." Iruka rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"Remind me to thank him when I go pick up the katana I commissioned a while back. His wife should be nearly done with them."

"Oh really? Gai kept saying that you were a nunchuck man." Kakashi bend down to stretch out his back, groaning softly as his vertebrae finally popped and the muscles eased. He heard Iruka copying him, his voice coming out with a grunt as he replied with a touch of wry sarcasm.

"Well, Gai is a bit of an idiot when he's drunk, as you so eloquently showed me last night."

"Fair enough, fair enough. So, I'm supposed to start you on the basics of missions; I suspect that all we'll need to do is review, correct?"

"I would hope so, since I teach a class of genin the same damned things every day." He laughed and leaned back, bringing one leg up flush against his torso, watching with delight as Iruka copied _that_ move as well. Damn, but that man was well-built. Long legs, a slender torso, broad, fine shoulders... They switched legs, and Kakashi settled back into a more serious tone.

"Alright then, how many hand signals do you know?"

"All eighteen in our regular repetoire, and several of the special forces ones, since I've also filled in for Shikaku and Asuma for the young chuunin from time to time."

"Excellent, we can review those later on. Chakra limits?"

"Roughly the same as any other nin, though I do get more of a workout with mine than most."

"Oh?"

"There's a reason why Uzumaki Naruto believes I have eyes in the back of my head." Kakashi snickered, stretching his arms before him and popping his knuckles.

"Sounds pretty good to me, Iruka-sensei. Tell you what; I won't insult your experience by running you through the typical jutsus, if you'll sit with me for a bit and tell me exactly what your strengths are, and what you feel you need to work on." Iruka nodded, then gracefully _thumped_ to the ground, his legs crossed, arms propping his chin up. Kakashi joined him, sitting directly across from him and mimicking his position, but not mockingly; he was genuinely interested in Iruka's self-inspection. He usually had to present his pupils' weaknesses to them, sometimes viciously, but someone like the new jounin was mature enough to accept that he not only had those weaknesses, but that he had the strength to overcome them. He nodded for Iruka to start.

"Well, first off, I've got a temper. I believe you've been on the receiving end a few times, am I correct?" At Kakashi's veiled grin, he smirked, then continued. "I also, due to the time I spend with my students, have a tendancy to get strains more often than I should. Especially with any Hyuuga children in the class. I'd like to work at building my flexibility a little more, because of that. I need, desperately, some work with genjutsus; taijutsu and ninjutsu are perfectly fine, and probably actually a great deal better than most nin due to the kids' recess. Ah...Hmm...I think the only other thing I need work on is summons. I haven't used one since I was a genin myself." Kakashi nodded, making notes on each point Iruka had specified. All of those were exactly what he himself had seen, through both overt and covert examinations. He had been the one to suggest Iruka to the ANBU squads, when the elders had demanded a new squad formed of those nin with aquatic abilities. A bit stupid, he thought, but then again, several of the new jounin would never have become jounin without this opportunity. Not that they weren't skilled enough; just the opposite, in fact. Their skills, however, weren't considered 'of use' to the village as a whole, unless they were in positions of relative power, such as Iruka as a teacher. The other four were being trained by members of his own former squad at the moment, and would meet in exactly five weeks, wherein Iruka would take leadership.

"Alright, I think we can work a few things out. You're excellent with leadership over a large group, you rely on common sense instead of bravado, and you know what you can and cannot do. The genjutsu, then, will be the focus of the next three weeks; after that, we'll round things out and get you used to wearing that armor and carrying large weapons. Is there anything else you'd like to add before we get started?" Iruka shook his head, and looked slightly surprised when Kakashi pushed his hiate-ate up, revealing his Sharingan eye. "Now, Iruka-sensei; break my genjutsu!" The eye swirled dangerously, and Iruka found himself falling into silver and red, his world going completely black.

"Ow..." Iruka's soft groan made Kakashi smile, and he reached over, shaking his pupil's shoulder gently.

"Wakey, wakey, Iruka-sensei. I know it sucks, but you'll feel better with a little food in you." Groaning, Iruka sat up, rubbing his face with both hands and noting several bruises, presumably from when he'd tried to attack Kakashi through the genjutsu.

"Bet I made a right ass of myself..." He sighed, one eye opening against the hazy twilight, and he reached painfully for the small cup of juice and the pastry Kakashi held out. He ate it slowly, both savoring the treat and making sure that it didn't come back up to say hello. He caught a glimpse of Kakashi shaking his head, the older man's mask pulled down, revealing a pale, sharp-featured face, but with a wide, easy smile. It was quite clear that Kakashi wasn't nearly as cool and cold as most nin thought him to be. His Sharingan was closed and covered with a plain bandana; his hiate-ate was poking out of one of his flak jacket pockets. He looked tired, but pleased; Iruka must have done better than he'd imagined, though he wasn't too sure of that.

"Not at all. Actually, I'm really impressed; the only other person who could throw off my genjutsu like that was Nara Shikaku. And doing so well over ten times...damn, I'm actually ecstatic!" He grinned over at the teacher, and gave him a solid salute, then settled back, growing serious. "I mean it, you're one of the best I've seen at fighting the techniques. Now, I want to know something; can you cast them?" Iruka nodded, but sighed again.

"I'm horrible at laying down the base spell; building it up is okay, but actually casting it is like balancing on a rooftop screaming at the top of my lungs in a different language. So, yes, but you wouldn't want me to." Kakashi smiled slightly, but sighed as well, knowing that Iruka wouldn't like what he had to say next.

"Forgive me, then. One of the goals this next week will be genjutsu casting. I'm afraid that you have to be at least proficient enough to do so in battle before they'll pass you for the squad. Tell you what; I'll treat you to dinner and desert tonight, and we'll start fresh in the morning." Iruka smiled, and nodded, downing the last of the juice.

"I'll hold that to you, then. And no Ichiraku's! I spend enough time there with Naruto." Kakashi grinned.

"Fine with me."

Iruka stretched, groaning faintly as his shoulders popped, and he smiled over at his partner. His partner...he'd been part of a team as a youngster, of course, but he'd been mostly alone over the last few years, having only the mission room and his classes for company. That was another relief, though; he'd been pulled from mission room duty now that he was a candidate for ANBU, and he no longer had to deal with reports badly written, burned, soaked, or soiled in dirt. In fact, there were only three people who he actually looked forward to receiving the reports from; Shikaku, Kurenai, and surprisingly, Kakashi himself. In fact, he'd learned a lot about the man walking next to him, talking animatedly about the various techniques he'd Copied over the years. The truly secret ones, of course, would remain within his mind, but there were several that made Iruka laugh, such as a trick he'd learned with a slingshot back when he was a kid, and used to great extent in irritating the crap out of certain Elders.

As he finished up that story, leaving Iruka nearly breathless with laughter, he launched right into the time when he'd gone slightly batty from sleeping too long after a particularly grueling mission, and was totally convinced that Konohakagure was a town of zombies, when in reality he'd simply completely forgotten that it was Halloween, and that the jounin were doing a zombie-walk in celebration. Needless to say, after raising half the town with his screams and puncturing several egos (and learning a multitude of new swear words), Kakashi had been utterly embarrassed, though apparently his sensei, the Fourth Hokage, had nearly pissed himself laughing so hard. It was sweet to watch him remember his mentor so fondly; in the last several hours, Iruka had swiftly revised several opinions, and concluded that the Copy Nin was not only an interesting teacher and unexpectedly wise partner, but also the kind of man he wouldn't mind calling a friend. There was something about the way Kakashi seemed to understand him, even when he didn't say a word; he had a feeling it was because they were more alike than they realized. And that was intriguing enough as it is; to have the older jounin open up like this, when he was so notoriously closed-mouthed, was definitely a new development. And Kakashi seemed to realize that, for he looked over at Iruka's pursed lips and distant eyes, and chuckled.

"Yen for your thoughts?" 'Ruka laughed.

"Don't know if they're worth that much, but I was just wondering about something."

"Fire away."

"Why have you told me so much? The way I hear it, not even getting you drunk seems to ply information out of you." Kakashi smiled, but it was sad, and he looked up at the stars through his good eye.

"Well, if I spilled my guts when I got drunk, I never would have survived the S-rank missions, Iruka-sensei. But, other than that, I just...I don't like to talk about myself much in front of people. Most of the jounin and ANBU know my background; they either served with my father, or served with me, and so there was never any need to say anything. You, on the other hand...you're as much an enigma to me as I am to you, I'm sure, and...I dunno. You're easy to talk to. I don't feel like I'm being judged by you." Iruka smiled at that.

"I can promise you that you won't be. I only judge those who turn in reports late." Kakashi barked out a laugh, and turned a smiling eye to his pupil.

"Oh, I see how it is! No wonder everyone fears the great Iruka-sensei when he's on mission room duty!"

"Hey, it's either the fear of Kami-sama, or me. They're more like to fear me, because my retribution is swift and painful."

"Oh? A shuriken in the ass?" Iruka grinned, his teeth flashing whitely in the shadowy night against his dusky skin.

"I tell Naruto where they live." Kakashi's eyes widened, and he clutched his chest, arcing away from Iruka in feigned terror.

"Oh, Kami-sama, you are a _cruel_ bastard!" He shrugged, smirking with his hands behind his head, quite relaxed.

"I've been told that I could take Ibiki's job as interrogator and probably do the job quicker and cleaner."

"Because you use psychological warfare?"

"Mmhmm." Kakashi shuddered, in truth this time, but cast a smile at the teacher.

"Remind me to never, ever, _ever_ piss you off." Iruka laughed out loud.

"It'll only happen once, Kakashi-sensei." He chuckled as well, then sighed faintly as they drew close to Iruka's small home. Most nin, Kakashi included, lived in the apartments that clustered in the center of town; easy deployment, easy to spread orders. But this particular teacher preferred the quiet life, apparently, and had opted to live on the outskirts in a small, low former dojo. It was ringed by an eight-foot wall, and while it looked old and slightly run down, it was clear that the place was well cared for. As Iruka opened the tall gate to let himself in, Kakashi caught a glimpse of the house, and was reminded suddenly of his family's compound, bigger than this by a great deal, but quite the same in style and age. He could see the deeper shadows of trees and plantings that softened the stern lines, and smiled again. Figures; Iruka was quite gentle enough to be a gardener. The teacher had turned to face the Copy Nin, and Kakashi felt tongue-tied for a moment; he really didn't want to say goodnight, but at the same time, he couldn't think of a reason to stay. _He's a good reason..._He resolutely pushed _that_ thought out of the way and focused on another silly grin.

"Still glad you said yes to Sarutobi?" Iruka smiled, and this time, Kakashi knew that it was directed solely at himself. Wow...it was kinda weird to feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Yes, I am...and Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you're my partner in this." With that, he slipped inside, leaving Kakashi to blink at him, then smile wide under his mask and set back out to stroll to his apartment, a light tune on his lips as he whistled into the night air. _Well, then...perhaps partner will come to take a different meaning over the next few weeks? Better play your cards right, O Hound of the Leaf; this little fishie isn't going down without a fight._

**Welp, one of the longer chapters I've written in a while. For the first time in months, I'm not focusing on getting a certain count; it's kinda nice for a change. Thanks to the reviewer who mentioned handsignals! I'd been wracking my brain trying to remember all the military and field signals we used to use in paintball and dagohir, and had dimly thought about the handsignaling, but for some reason, it kept slipping away. Next chapter will have a greater emphasis on the genjutsus and training, as well as a low-level mission for our two intrepid nin. So, I can finally break out the descriptions I found! Please R&R! More work gets done that way!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, though I wish I did; Gakuen Konoha anyone?**

**Call to Arms**

Kakashi sagged back against the tree, his breathing coming harder than usual, though a grin lit his lips behind the ceramic hound mask. He had _not_ expected that attack, and he blew softly on on the light burn on his arm. He'd need a new pair of gloves again before this day was out, though his armor had held up admirably. Iruka was standing a few meters away, grinning wider than his teacher, his own eyes glinting merrily as he tore his simple cat mask off, freeing his long brown braid to curve down his back. Oh, but damn that man was gorgeous, and Kakashi had given up trying to deny otherwise. Especially after this morning; two long weeks of exhausting training for both of them, in between Iruka's classes, had driven several points home in the way of bruises, strains, and a black eye apiece when Iruka had finally gotten over the problem with his genjutsu casting. He still wasn't very good, but he could hold the spells as well as any other chuunin, and in breaking them, his will was more than sufficent. He hardly ever had to use chakra to enforce that; what had just happened was one of the exceptions, when Kakashi had purposefully trapped him in one of the most powerful techniques he'd learned. _That _had earned him the burns on his arms and across his chestpiece; Iruka's katon had sent him flying. But it was what Kakashi had walked in on this morning, despite those bruises and the shiner, that had left him utterly speechless.

Iruka had let him into the house that Sunday after their first day of training, and from then on, Kakashi rose with the morning birds and happily accompanied the teacher to his classes, letting himself in each day with knock and a faint whistle. Apparently Iruka had taken a long bath before he'd started gettting ready for work; Kakashi had walked in on Iruka, clad only in a towel, his long hair damp and being braided carefully up. He'd always thought that it'd only gone down to his shoulders...oh no. It reached the middle of his hips, and what hips they were. He was pleasantly surprised to see that he wore the towel low, and he couldn't help the lecherous grin under his mask...until he stepped forward onto an old tatami mat, and winced at the crackling reeds. Damn. Iruka had glanced behind him...and _smiled_. Well, at least he didn't move to deck him...He shook his head of those distracting thoughts, and nodded over at the jounin, his eye curving in a smile.

"Excellent job, and I think we can safely call it quits on that for now. You've far exceeded what I set you to do, and nearly fried me for it!" Iruka laughed, though it was a shade uneasily. Had Kakashi been a little less trained, he really would have been fried. And Iruka was finding, more and more as the days passed, that he really did not want his first really close friend to get hurt. He wasn't sure exactly when their relationship had taken a further step closer, but he suspected it was due to last week's incident at Ichiraku's. Iruka had only met Maito Gai in passing, but just after his classes, he'd been accosted by the exuberent, spandex-wearing, unibrowed jounin and swept up in a crowd of faintly hostile townsfolk, all of whom were staring at Iruka rather pointedly as Gai preceded to exclaim about how clearly Kakashi-san was _infatuated_ with the young teacher, and how their love in the springtime of their youth would carry them onward for all of eternity. Iruka had wanted to die. Kakashi, however, had rescued him with a wry comment and a swift kick to Gai's head.

"Gai, you moron, you're making the man want to crawl under a rock. Now go run laps or something; Iruka-sensei needs to get to class to do his _job._" As Gai took off at a dead run, Kakashi had sent a pointed glare out at the townsfolk, then turned back towards his trainee, sighing tiredly. "Gomen. He's...an idiot." In spite of himself, Iruka had laughed, bringing an answering smile to the older jounin's lips, covered by the mask as they were.

"It's fine. Let's get to the Academy; I shudder to think of what Naruto's led this time." With that, they'd become friends...and with that, Kakashi had started coming over every day, becoming one more constant in Iruka's life. And he had to admit...he really liked that constant.

"Iruka?" Kakashi smiled a little as Iruka shook his thoughts away, and nodded to the older jounin, his brown eyes twinkling. "Alright. I've got a few more things I'd like to go over with you, but we can save that for tonight's night training. Fancy a little dinner that _isn't_ ramen?" Iruka blinked at him, then smiled warmly, unbuckling his armor and pulling off his clawed gloves.

"Absolutely! He who suggests, treats, however; my wallet's a little thin at the moment." It wasn't forbidden to wander the village in ANBU uniform, but it was rather frowned upon, and Kakashi followed suit, helping Iruka stow everything in one of the hollow training pillars.

"Naruto again?"

"Surprisingly, no. The classroom budget fell short and I had to go out and buy supplies." Kakashi blinked, and his mouth twisted.

"That is bullshit." Iruka shrugged, though his eyes clearly agreed.

"That's life as a teacher. A good half of the time, I've paid for the repairs as well, so that's part of why I get so angry when the kids go and wreck things."

"Well, of course! It's your wall, not the school's anymore. Ah, well..." His eye lit on one of the nicer sushi restaurants, and he pointed to it with his chin, brushing Iruka's shoulder with one gloved hand. "How about Mana's Bar? We can share a bottle of sake~" He lilted, his eye curving in a smile at the other man. Iruka simply chuckled and nodded, his long braid waving in the wind. He cut a handsome figure in the brilliant sunset, and Kakashi felt his chest tighten, just a little, when the sun caught his eyes, turning them from liquid to molten, bright gold flecks gleaming against gorgeous brown. _There is no more beautiful a person in all the nations_, his treacherous mind whispered, and he closed his eye to the sight, still smiling, though it was bittersweet. Iruka seemed to sense his unease, and the warm look he gave his partner nearly made Kakashi's knees give way.

"That would be wonderful, Kakashi. Lead the way?" The older jounin blinked at him, then grinned sheepishly and brushed past him, opening the door with a gallant bow, earning himself another warm laugh, and another shiver down his spine. He didn't know how long this would last...but damned if he wasn't going to enjoy it.

Iruka thumbed the button on his earbud communicator and waited a moment; his team had the older series, and unfortunately, they had a tendancy to take forever to come to life. Somewhere up ahead, Kakashi was freeing his youngest team member from a trap the idiot had stumbled into; since Iruka was in charge this time around, he'd sent his former teacher off to straighten things up while he surveyed the map. Finally, the buzzing in his ear died down, and he cleared his throat, wincing a little at the echo that his mask gave his already hoarse voice.

"Hound, Osprey, report in. Tiger, Tortoise, continue on towards the mark, keep surveillance. Eel, Basilisk, cover our backtrail." He stretched out one leg to ease a cramp, and growled under his breath at the map's circled destination, which refused to change positions to be more favorable. Huffing out a sigh, he folded the map away in a waterproof pocket and stood up, shaking out the pins-and-needles feeling that crouching for so long had given him. He pulled his mask to the side to give his peripheral vision a wider view, and leaned carefully against a downed tree, his eyes carefully surveying the riverbanks before him. This wasn't their first mission together; that had happened a month ago, and while it had ended well, Iruka had elected to add another month's worth of training together to form a more cohesive team, asking that Kakashi remain as a supervisor. 

_Bull, you just wanted to spend more time with him._ He closed his eyes to his subconcious and sighed, knowing too well that it was right. For over half a year, Kakashi had made himself an integral part of Iruka's life, coming in every day, usually with breakfast and a smile, to walk with him to the Academy. They'd shared lunches together, and usually dinner together as well, and in all that time...he'd discovered that he really didn't want to see it end. _You know what you're feeling...you're just afraid_. Well, that was true enough. He didn't know if Kakashi the friend would turn into Kakashi the jerk if...that was certainly an if, too, because there was no way the Copy Nin could be interested in...well...better that it ended as friendship, rather than anger and betrayal. Again.

"Hound here, bringing Osprey in." Kakashi's voice sounded even worse than his own, though that could have been due to the technology, too. Sure enough, not a minute after he'd said that did Kakashi appear, pushing the hapless waterbird towards him. Iruka slipped his mask back on and stepped forward, signalling for the young man to join his comrades up in the trees. As he flit away through the branches, Iruka slipped his mask off completely and made his way to the older jounin, not liking how he swayed dangerously.

"Kakashi, what's wrong?" One lone gray eye appeared as the Hound mask pulled away, and Iruka blinked, slightly nonplussed. Kakashi's trademark facemask was gone, revealing a handsome face, though it was a little flushed, and the eyepatch over his Sharingan wasn't quite enough to keep the chakra from leaking. Iruka reached up and laid his fingers on the patch, murmuring a soft barrier before he pulled back. "There...though that won't help how sick you look."

"...it's nothing, Iruka-sensei."

"Call me Iruka, and shush, you're ill. You shouldn't be out here."

"...do I have a choice?" Iruka huffed out another sigh, and shook his head, though his eyes softened as they gazed at the taller man.

"I suppose not, but when we're done here, I'm putting you straight to bed." Pale lips curved up in a slight smile, and Kakashi dipped his head, silver hair following his movements.

"I bow to your expertise, Iruka. We probably ought to catch up to the others..." He nodded, and masks back in place, they hopped into the treeline. A short while later, the seven-man team crouched over their target, a scouting force from one of the larger politcal parties outside the Shinobi nations, and Iruka studied the soldiers, frowning when he noticed the guns and grenades.

"They aren't here to negotiate, are they, Dolphin-san?" Tortoise was the second youngest, and one of the two women on the team, and while her voice betrayed her fear, her body language made him proud. He reached out with one clawed hand, carefully, and patted her shoulder; he didn't hold with some of the team leaders' insistance to browbeat everyone into submission.

"No, they are not. But we're hardly defenseless. Tiger, what are the best ways down there?"

"Honestly, the trees, the river, and the sky. They're pretty well bunkered for a bunch of fools." Ah, yes, the cocky one. But Tiger was as wise as he was sure of himself, and in spite of his ego, he worked well with everyone, especially Tortoise.

"Basilisk, Eel?"

"We're safe, Dolphin-san." Basilisk was the second woman, and every inch the seductress; she had more curves than a race track, and she knew how to use each one to her advantage. She, however, had welcomed Iruka as their team leader because he tended to ignore physical traits in favor of skills. And since she was their best trap setter...Eel shifted his weight a little, brushing his hand against hers, and Iruka was rather glad for his mask, for it hid his smirk. Ah, yes. Flippant and promiscuious, she might seem, but she was happily married to the tall, dark man who hovered over her, silent as the creature he took his codename from. He himself didn't really care for his own 'Dolphin-san', but he supposed it was inevitable. Ah, well...

"Alright then. Basilisk, Osprey, you're bait this time around. Osprey, I want you to blunder in, while Basilisk pulls the 'fey' jutsu off. I'll be right behind you, and Hound-sensei will wait in the wings with his dogs. Tiger, Tortoise, you're both aerial support; I want you to run them into the chakra traps. Understood?" Nods satisfied his curiosity, and the team scattered, Iruka dragging Osprey down through the trees, then shoving him into the clearing, waiting just long enough to create a small army of bunshin...

Kakashi hissed weakly as Iruka dabbed at the cut on his arm, but he wisely didn't allow himself to twitch. Their second mission had gone better than they'd hoped, and they'd returned with hostages, a mess of weaponry, and one very ill Hound. Kakashi had collapsed when they reported to the Hokage, and after telling everyone off, Iruka had carried him back to his own home, settling the worn-out jounin in his bed and caring for him. He'd woken up to his cuts and bruises being addressed, and now watched Iruka through a hazy gray eye, too tired and nauseous to even consider moving. At last, the cool bandages wound over his arm, and an equally cool hand pressed against his burning forehead. He closed his eye to the touch and leaned into it, wishing he could suddenly just pull the man above him into his arms...

"You're still fevering..." Iruka's voice sounded a touch...scared? He revived a little at that, opening his eye again.

"'m okay..."

"Shh." That comforting touch moved away, and he whined, a little like a puppy, earning a soft chuckle. "Relax, I'm just getting you a damp cloth..."

"...Don' wanna cloth...wanna 'Ruka..." Iruka froze, and turned to look at that soft gray eye, Kakashi's hand outstretched weakly, clasping his sleeve, and he felt his eyes water, just a little. He looked so ill, and so worn out...and there was nothing but naked loneliness in that eye, a begging, terrible pain that shot straight through the gentle man's heart. _Oh, Kami-sama...he needs me. And I don't think it's just friends..._ His own hand, the skin dusky against Kakashi's pale, caught up the older jounin's, and Iruka brought it close to his chest, feeling a few selfish tears roll down his face. He smiled, though, and tangled his fingers with the Copy Nin's, and came close, rest his free hand on the other's head, his fingers stretching out to brush through that spiky silver hair.

"I...never knew..."

"'sokay. Was scared..."

"Scared of what?"

"...to tell you the truth." Iruka felt his heart still, and he sucked in an uneasy breath, shivering slightly.

"Tell me the truth?" That gray eye focused on him, and Kakashi sat up, carefully, his bare torso free of the blanket. His uninjured hand cupped Iruka's neck, and he brought their foreheads together, gray meeting confused brown. His breathing was shallow, nervous...ghosting over Iruka's lips, and he shivered again, his own hand still in Kakashi's hair. Was he really...? Kakashi leaned in a little more, angling his mouth over Iruka's.

"I love you." He pressed a kiss to those lips, gentle as a butterfly's, pulling away just a little. He didn't expect to be pulled back, didn't anticipate how swift Iruka really was...and found himself flat on his back, a warm, caramel-skinned brunette kissing him with all the fervor he could have wished, and the amount of skill he hadn't realized the teacher had. They broke away for a quick breath, and Kakashi was startled at the bright smile on Iruka's face, though the words that followed set his heart at peace.

"I love you too." With a soft, hoarse laugh, Kakashi pulled the younger jounin into the bed next to him, and tangled his long body around Iruka's, nuzzling close. Sleep was coming swiftly on the heels of that little revelation, and at last, he gave himself over to total oblivion, finally whole.

**So, I really wanted to get them together sooner...YAY FOR TIME LEAPS. Expect more indepth missions, a little strain to this pretty little relationship, and...Naruto. Also, more depth on the other five members of Iruka's team, and proper names for them all. As always, please read and review! I get writer's block if I don't get reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Naruto. But if I did...*coughs***

**Call to Arms**

Iruka stretched painfully, whining just a bit as his spine finally cracked, and he slid bonelessly down into his chair, exhaustion graying his vision. Gods, he didn't know how the other ANBU members did this, day in and day out..._They don't teach a class of pre-genin and help in the mission room. And not to mention a relationship in the middle of everything..._He had to smile, though; he couldn't have made it through each day without Kakashi's constant presence.

Even now, he could feel that familiar chakra signature, walking swiftly up to the Academy, a bag of Ichiraku's finest in one hand, while the other held up his beloved Icha Icha. Ordinarily, Iruka didn't care for the series, but after noticing the author, and making a few quick revelations, he could understand why Kakashi kept his collection so well cared for. He'd smiled a little when he'd caught the man dusting his volumes off, whistling merrily as he cleaned Iruka's house...their house.

He normally didn't go in much for living together, especially after only two months, but the older jounin had made himself so much a part of the teacher's life that it seemed...wrong, somehow, to tell him to go back to his apartment. Besides, there was plenty of room at his place, and aside from the occasional ninken lying in the middle of the hallway, they'd made it work surprisingly well.

It did help that Kakashi was incredibly respectful of Iruka's privacy; whenever he took to his office to go over reports and grade assignments, the Copy Nin kept himself busy with sweeping, watering, and the occassional house repair. He couldn't cook to save his life, but he made a mean cup of tea, and with his teleportation jutsu, kept all their microwave meals well stocked. All of it helped make Iruka's life a little easier, because ANBU was growing more persistent. He'd staved off the multi-day assignments as long as he could...but he didn't have a choice, now. He grimaced as he picked up the scroll again, glaring at it as Kakashi walked through the door.

"Hey there, lover...what's wrong?" Ah, the joys of expediency in a man...

"I'm trying to find a way to get out of this three-day mission so that I can give my students their midterm. Or postpone it till then. I'll do the damned thing, but I do not want to deal with Naruto's antics with a substitute again." And what with Danzo throwing a fit every day...

"Well, eat first, then we'll brainstorm." He kissed him gently, pulling down his mask long enough to inhale his food. Iruka chuckled at that, and sat back to enjoy his own meal, a delicious bowl of his favorite pork ramen. They traded appetizers (Iruka preferred crab rangoon, while Kakashi made jokes with his egg rolls), and munched in companionable silence, sitting across from one another, the desk between. Iruka studied his boyfriend, well aware that Kakashi was doing the same. The Copy Nin looked tired, but content; small wonder, considering how much fun they'd had last night...he smirked a bit, and a warm chuckle sounded in the empty room. "I suspect we're thinking the same things."

"You would suspect the truth. So, what on earth am I going to do?" Kakashi tapped his chopsticks against his chin, his eye closing as he thought.

"Well...what substitutes do you have available?"

"Shikaku's busy with the Hokage, and everyone else is covering his classes. All of the other chuunin won't come in; they claim that they wouldn't know what to do."

"...They just don't want to deal with Naruto." Iruka groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"You've hit it dead in the black, love. He's truly not that bad, he just...doesn't have any one to guide him." One long-fingered hand reached over and touched his wrist, and Iruka leaned into the touch, tangling his fingers into Kakashi's.

"You want to guide him." The teacher smiled, and rested his forehead on their clasped fingers, closing his eyes to the sharp sting of tears. He allowed himself that moment of weakness, Kakashi's other hand brushing over his bound hair, then straightened up, rubbing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"What I want to do doesn't matter at the moment. What I can afford to do is find him a teacher who won't abuse him, but won't allow him to run wild. Now, to find that rare creature..."

"Why don't I do it?" Iruka blinked, staring up at the silver-haired man, and something about the look on his face made Kakashi pout. "Oh come on, I'm not _that_ bad. I'll even leave the Icha at home. Seriously, though, it might not be a bad idea to trade off. I've done teaching before, and as long as you show me what your lesson plans are, I'll be okay."

"Some plans don't always survive the first bout, Kakashi."

"That's what being an ANBU leader for ten years is for. If I can't jury-rig a lesson if it goes awry, I'm not worth my claws." Iruka had to grin at that, and he nodded, relief easing the lines in his face.

"Alright, you're my sub from now on, unless you're on a mission too. Thank Kami you're used to getting up with me in the mornings now." At the older man's snicker, he laughed outright, and stood up, stretching again. "Yes, I think that'll do just fine. I do need to make up the plan tonight...would you like to help me?" Kakashi blinked up at him, and the teacher smiled softly, making his way around the desk to settle in the other jounin's lap. "It's only fair. I can tell you what we need to teach, and you can come up with ways to do it that are more suited to your style. We are different people, after all." Kakashi chuckled and nuzzled his neck, planting a soft kiss on his jaw.

"Well, that's true, I'm afraid. Alright then...but before we do that, I want you to relax for a change. How does an evening at the hot springs sound?" Iruka made a nearly inarticulate sound of pleasure and planted a kiss directly on his lover's lips.

"Dearest Kami-sama, I knew I loved you for a reason."

Kakashi hoped, dearly, that Iruka was joking when he said that teaching the pre-genins was like ANBU boot camp. Because he'd hated the camps as a kid, and as the silver-haired jounin looked over his notes, he hoped too that he'd be able to remember all the names. _Okay...Naruto, Sasuke, Rock, Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, Neji, Shikimaru, Cho, Ino..._There were a few others, but he hoped that after his own brief introduction, he could just plow through the lesson. He was nervous, after all; Iruka was supposed to be watching, but he was too nervy to check the chakra signatures around the area...

Finally, the bell rang, and the kids came in, laughing, yelling, chattering up a storm, and Kakashi was thankful for his mask, and the lazy look in his eye that came almost without asking. He leaned against the front of the desk, looking bored, and let his eye mark off each child, though his arms remained crossed, attendance sheet already marked off. He knew who was supposed to be here, and to his relief, they all showed up, settling in their seats and staring at him, all rather nervous.

"Good morning, class. Name's Kakashi-sensei, and I'll be teaching you in Iruka-sensei's absence." A hum of murmurs answered that, and he held up a hand, pleased that they quieted so easily. "I know, I know, I'm not your normal sub, but Iruka-sensei had no others who could come in, especially on this important a week, and it's not fair for you kids to have to postpone your midterm. Again. So, I'm here to help." One pink-haired girl with big blue eyes raised her hand, and he nodded to her, pleased.

"Will you be permanent?"

"Only until after midterms, or until Iruka-sensei returns, whichever happens first. I'm just filling in for the subs who couldn't be here." Another boy, the big one, Cho, he thought, since he looked so much like his father, raised his hand as well, and he relaxed, nodding to him.

"Will you teach us jounin tricks?" Kakashi grinned at that, but shook his head, chuckling as the groans filled the room.

"Nope, sorry, gotta follow the syllabus, you know how it goes. Besides, I promised Iruka-sensei that I'd be good." The last hand came from the blonde in the back, his cat-scratched cheeks set in a stubborn expression. _Naruto._

"Why we gotta listen to you?" He demanded, giving Kakashi a bit of a start. He looked angry, upset, and instantly, he understood.

"Because Iruka asked me to help. He could have gone to one of the elders and had a replacement found, but he wanted someone who would treat you kids well. And while I'm relatively new to this, I was an ANBU leader for ten years." The gasps made him smile, and he directed his gaze at Naruto, holding the boy's blue eyes. "Yup, ten years as a squad leader, and when I retired, I in turn trained the newbies...your teacher, being one of them." Silence, now, and he took a breath; these kids...they could be trusted, moreso than any other nin.

"Iruka-sensei is on a mission now...and we all have to buckle down to make things easier for him. Can we do that?" The resounding YES's made him grin, and he turned to the chalkboard, feeling a measure of confidence that hadn't been his for a long time. "Alright then, open your books to chapter seven..."

Iruka motioned for Eel to infiltrate the front of the building, then directed both Tiger and Tortoise along the sides, taking the back with Basilisk and Osprey. They'd been at the edge of the Sand for a week now, building up a small base of operations in order for this particular sting to go down properly...and Iruka smiled faintly, slipping around the corner of the enormous adobe building with ease.

His thoughts had, momentarily, drifted back to Kakashi and his kids, wondering how their classes up to the midterm were going, but he'd told himself that they would be fine. The older jounin was, after all, a skilled nin, and an excellant teacher, and after watching one class with him, Iruka had been content to trust that he'd take care of his kids. The pre-genin had really taken to the silver-haired man, Naruto especially, and Iruka had to stifle a chuckle at the way the little boy had actually been listening.

Not that he didn't for Iruka, but...he'd long suspected that his methods of teaching were far from what the boy needed. And if he didn't get his attention back to his job, he'd risk a hell of a lot more than failed midterms. With a whisper of sound, he picked the lock of the back door, slipping in after Osprey, and left Basilisk to guard their backs. He led the younger nin into the rafters, ghosting along wide, old beams.

The item they were after was a scroll; one supposedly stolen from the Leaf ages ago, long before there was peace between the nations, and since this building was just outside the purview of the Sand, the elders had directed that ANBU send a team to seek it out. Of the teams, though, Iruka's was the only one available for such a long-term mission, in spite of the fact that that all of them were of the water element, and being in the Sand...he frowned under his mask, faintly angry. If something went wrong...they were all in danger.

But the building was empty; no chakra traps and only a large amount of dust, and he nodded to Eel's shadowed form, waiting as the man dashed between the storage boxes, hunting for just the right one...The soft sound of a mockingbird spelled out their triumph, and Iruka and Osprey slipped back to the back door, weapons still drawn, as Eel made his way through the aisles as well. As the taller man slipped through the door, Osprey and Iruka swung down onto the crates and clambered down, barely scattering the dust now floating in the air as they eased out into the moonless night.

They had the scroll, had the mission objective, and as the six nin started off across the gently rolling hills of sand, Iruka breathed a faint prayer for small miracles. Soon, he'd be home in Kakashi's arms, fending off attacks from an overly excited Naruto...when a faint, faint howl broke the air, and Iruka stilled, heart pounding. That...that was...his eyes widened, his mouth went dry, and with a bark, he ordered the nin to run, double-time. That was the cry of a released jinnchuriki...and his heart stopped when he realized what that meant.

_They know._

**I RECOVERED IT. Thank Kami. Thank _fucking_ Kami. I've had this finished for almost nine months, and due to my computer's loss, I thought it was gone...ONWARD!**


End file.
